Thermal Power Plant Advantages and Disadvantages

Thermal power plat has the following merits and demerits:

Advantages:

• Fuel used is cheaper
• Smaller space is required compared to hydro power plant
• Economical in initial cost compared to hydro plants and running costs are less compared to gas plants or diesel plants
• Thermal plants can be placed near load centers unlike hydro and nuclear plants. Hence transmission of power losses can be minimized
• Thermal plants are able to respond to the load demand more effectively and supports the performance of the electrical grid
• Steam plants can withstand for overload for certain extent

Disadvantages:

• Higher maintenance and operational costs
• Pollution of the atmosphere
• Huge requirement of water 
• Handling of coal and disposal of ash is quite difficult and requires large area
• Gestation period (period for commissioning of plant) takes long time
• Efficiency of thermal plant is quite less (30-35%)
• Operational cost of thermal plant is more costlier compared to hydro and nuclear plant